Overview
- Meatloaf went on public view Wednesday in the Aquarium of the Pacific’s new rehab pool as staff launched a $50,000 fundraiser for surgery and ongoing care.
- Community science volunteers found the 200-plus-pound green sea turtle tangled in fishing line and rope on Jan. 14 and alerted NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the rescue.
- Veterinarians say the line cut off blood to a front flipper, and they report early healing but warn the swelling from trapped fluid may require reconstructive surgery and months of rehab that could stretch to a year.
- The sea turtle rehabilitation area opened in January with a nearly 4,000-gallon pool that doubled the aquarium’s capacity and stands as one of only two such facilities in Southern California, alongside SeaWorld San Diego.
- Officials say green sea turtles often enter the San Gabriel River for food and warmer water, which funnels them into trash and fishing gear that make entanglement a recurring threat.